surviving the chill

[mellowtigger]

It was -15C/4F in Minneapolis when I woke up this morning.  I really should get an indoor thermometer, so I can measure the temperature in my bedroom.  Slightly warmer than outdoors, but not by enough.  The glass of water by my bed was not frozen, at least.  Thanks to the very drafty old windows, I just keep my bedroom door closed during the day.  I also bubble wrap those windows in winter to slow the heat exchange as much as possible.

My energy bill is already low compared to the norm here, but I keep trying to think of ways to get it lower.  I don't know how much lower I can keep the thermostat than its current 19C/66F setting.  I have plants and fish to consider.  They're a luxury, I know, but I can't dismiss the psychological good it does to have them around 365 days a year, especially when it's so cold outside and I live alone (with cat).

My aquarium is unheated.  I chose fish that can handle it.  It's been almost 3 years since I bought them, but only 1 minnow remains.  I lost several during the aquarium leak and migration to temporary tank nearly a year ago.  I eventually resealed the aquarium, and the original is back in use now.  You can't see the minnow here because it's hiding in the foliage, but the tank made the transition okay, I think.  The java fern and pelia moss (Monosolenium tenerum, the rootless free-floating leafy liverwort mass on the far right bottom) obviously recovered just fine.

I think when this last fish dies someday, I'll try some shrimp.  Cherry shrimp are just so colorful, and supposedly they can survive at my house thermostat temperature. That's the bottom of their range, though, so that leaves no "fudge factor".  Also, colder temperatures slow growth and stop breeding, so I'd probably add a heater for their safety.  But... I still wish there were more energy efficient aquarium heaters.  Does any crafty person want to experiment with the design I listed in that blog post?  I wish I knew how to do it on my own.

Edit 2022 Dec 06 Tue: I'm thinking now that I have subwassertang, not pelia moss.  Apparently I'm not the only one who gets them confused by their similar appearance.

Comments

[armiphlage]

Unfortunately, electric heaters are already at 100% efficiency, there's no way to improve performance and save money on the heat-generating side of keeping the fish tank warm.

You might be able to reduce heat demand by insulating the bottom, back, and sides of the tank, so there is less exposed surface area to let heat escape to the room. I'd be hesitant about covering up the top, for fear of reducing oxygen flow, though.

If you hold your hand near the older windows when the wind is blowing and feel airflow, you could get a caulking gun and some tubes of caulking at a hardware store, and fill the gaps around the glass. The caulking might not flow smoothly now that it's cold, though.

Do you have any drafts under your doors? If you're feeling crafty, a long tube of cloth filled with sand or kitty litter is a cheap way to reduce airflow.

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1187591464/draft-stopper-door-window-draft-stopper

[mellowtigger]

Oh, you're right about the efficiency. I should've thought of that. The universe does like its heat entropy. :/ But... there should still be ways to harvest the waste heat from lighting? I'm thinking of a new type of canopy? I'm a big fan of over-the-frame waterwheel biofilters (love them!), so maybe it could be built onto the over-the-frame canopy instead, allowing the water brought up by impeller to gain heat atop the LED lights. There just ought to be better ways to do this hobby.

And you're right about insulation. I should've thought of that too. I can certainly do the bottom, back, and least visible side. That's a lot of surface area and should definitely help. Thanks! :)

It's not the glass in the windows that's the problem. Unfortunately, it's the whole decades-old, rotting-out, double-hung frames that are the problem. I stuff foam everywhere and seal with bubblewrap as best I can, but it just doesn't compare to new efficiency-minded construction. :(

[armiphlage]

In my old apartment, I got clear shower curtains and thumbtacked them against the wall, completely covering the windows and walls all at once. It stopped the drafts, but looked weird.